


Songs from Dead Tongues

by ShadowHeart405



Category: Hellboy (Movies), Hellboy II: The Golden Army, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: (when is abe not in trouble?), Abe in trouble!, Character Revival, Creepy!Hel, F/M, Forget The Dark World Happened, Intersex Jotun, M/M, Misuse of Norse and Irish Mythology, Multi, Not Canon Compliant, Odin's A+ Parenting, Past Mpreg, Post-Avengers, Revenge Plots, Sex, Violence, Werewolves in Love, cursing, villains in love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-02-02
Updated: 2017-05-09
Packaged: 2018-01-10 23:55:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1166147
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadowHeart405/pseuds/ShadowHeart405
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Once upon a time, two Silver Princes met, fell in love, and were torn apart from one another by a conspiring ruler. Thousands of years later, the two Silver Princes are reunited with a single goal driving them – Revenge.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One: The Gods that Die by our Hands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Right after the events of the Avengers movie, an attack is made by a small group of undead warriors on the Hellicarrier and Loki is released by a mysterious figure who turns out to the the revived Prince Nuada. The pair escape and begin what could be the first stirrings of Ragnarok...

Chapter One:  The Gods that Die by our Hands

 

It was a minor set-back in the grand scheme of things. He knew when he reflected on the events of the past months that he should have planned just a little better. However, he was a god of Chaos and did have many, many allies in strange places…

The hellicarrier still needed many repairs to get it back in proper working order. They were still working on finding and repairing all of the damage that Loki’s actions had caused. No one noticed the lone figure that stalked the half-dark corridors, her long, pale fingers trailing along one wall. Patterns of rust and mold blossomed wherever she touched, appearing only moments after her fingertips trailed past. She hummed a haunting, nameless tune as she walked – a lull-a-bye of darkness and death. It was the sort of tune that you heard only in your last moments, comforting and frightening all at the same time.

Workers and agents passed her as she walked, no one noticing anything other than a soft chill in the air as she walked by. She soon came to the main command area, looking around with a sweet but insane smile as she continued her slow walk, wandering around the various consuls and touching them with her black and withered right hand. No one paid her any mind as she worked her way around the large room, all absorbed in their work. She moved to stand in the center of the room at Fury’s command station, there was a gentle hum as a creature of death came to stand next to her, his dead eyes unblinking.

“Show them what awaits them…” was her soft, gentle command. It ended with a girlish giggle as chaos broke out in various parts of the hellicarrier, her soldiers dutifully fulfilling their mistress’s commands.

-x-x-

Loki sat in the center of his little glass prison, eyes closed in meditation. The magic dampening cuffs that encircled his wrists kept him from sending out a web of magical energy that would alert him to any changes in the hellicarrier like he had been able to do during his first imprisonment. He could not make any vocalizations due to the muzzle that covered his mouth.

His eyes opened slowly when he heard the explosion somewhere deep in the Hellicarrier. Humming softly behind his muzzle, he couldn’t help but wonder what was happening this time. It wasn’t a moment before the door that led to his cage opened to reveal a pair of armed and armored guards, moving to position themselves around his prison. Loki would have asked what was going on, but his muzzle prevented all that. All he could do was make a quizzical noise that went unanswered. But the guards looked tense, so Loki knew it was something interesting at least. So Loki would wait…

It didn’t take long until something interesting DID happen. The door that led to Loki’s prison was blown off its hinges, causing the guards to jump lightly and smoke to fill the hole that was left. Loki barely flinched, blinking as he watched the dust clear, his two guards shifting as they prepared their weapons for a fight.

“Halt! Who goes?” One of the guards yelled, watching the door. It took only a moment before a snow-white being clad in black jumped through the doorway, almost moving faster than the eye could see. The two guards began to fire at the figure, but in a whirl of a lance the guards were dispatched with a grace and finesse that Loki had not seen in years. Once the two guards lay dead on the floor, the figure stood proud, his back to Loki as he held his spear against his shoulder. Loki watched as the spear shrunk into a more manageable size and the figure of white and black sheathed his weapon on his back. Loki took in a deep breath as he realized exactly WHO this contrasting figure was as he approached the consol that held the controls of the cage. Examining it for a few moments, he pressed a single button, opening the cage door. Loki stood stock-still in the middle of his prison, daring to dream of who he was being rescued by. Once the door had slid open, his savior strode forward with a confidence brought about by long existence and damn good breeding. 

“My beautiful one… what have these fools done…” his voice is as velvet smooth as the first time they met and it brings tears to Loki’s eyes. At the merest hint of his voice, Loki managed to choke out a sob, the sound a mix of relief, joy, and wonderment. Swiftly, his savior approached, kneeling down in front of him. Milk-white hands reached up to caress his hair gently, soothing him. Loki couldn’t help but lean towards his savior, a soft, pleased hum emerging from his throat. His scent, his touch, his energy… everything about this figure was calming and reassuring.  

“I’ll get this off you.” Immediately, fingers just as skilled with the small, fiddly parts of dwarven mechanisms as with his weapon moved to the latch of Loki’s muzzle, quickly figuring it out without even having to look at it. Loki let out a relieved sigh as the muzzle came free, the cursed contraption tossed to the side of the cage. Loki wetted his lips, looking into his savior’s golden-red eyes.

“Nuada…” he breathed, the name rolling easily off his lips in a caressing tone. Nuada smiled warmly, leaning in to kiss Loki deeply as his hands moved to the cuffs, finding ways around the mechanisms to free Loki’s hands as they kissed, ignoring whatever danger might be around them in the joy of their reunion. Once Loki’s hands were freed, they parted, Loki leaning his forehead against Nuada’s, his hands finding their way into Nuada’s long white hair.

Nuada smiled lightly, petting Loki’s hair and cheek in turn. “They will pay for what they’ve done to you… to us… will this please you, my love?”

“It pleases me to have you here with me,” Loki replied, breathless. Nuada smiled as he stood, holding Loki close to him. Loki’s weakness was a mix of surprise and the fact his magic had been dampened and needed time to recover. The still-fresh injuries from the Hulk’s attack also caused him much physical weakness. He clung to Nuada for support, hands gripping the embossed leather chest plate.

“Loki!” Loki grimaced as he heard his brother’s booming voice.

“What horrid timing…” Loki groaned as he leaned against Nuada. Nuada glared at Thor as the thunderer entered, the glare was mutual.

“Prince Nuada…” Thor stated, his voice almost a whisper of disgust as his hand grasped the handle of Mjolnir tightly. Nuada only smiled darkly at Thor, wrapping his arms around Loki.

“So sorry to de-rail your plans, Odinson, but I’ll be taking back what is mine now,” Nuada said, his voice velvet smooth and dangerous. The possessiveness in Nuada’s voice caused chills to run down Loki’s spine. Immediately, Nuada made use of the elfin magic he possessed to move them from the glass prison and the hellicarrier all together, Thor’s loud cursing following them.  

-X-X-

“Okay, so why weren’t we informed that Loki had a hot boyfriend with access to Zombies?” Tony asked, arms crossed as he settled Thor with a light glare.  The Aesir fidgeted lightly, looking up at his armored companion.  Not once, but TWICE had one of Tony’s “babies” been assaulted by someone in connection to Loki, this time it was some snow-white warrior with a legion of undead that refused to die. However, the Zombies had disappeared quickly after Nuada and Loki did, leaving them all to deal with a series of mechanical and technical failures that had crippled the Hellicarrier just enough to make it difficult to deal with, but able to bring it down safely so the damage could be assessed and repaired.

“Because Prince Nuada was supposed to be dead,” Thor replied.

“What do you mean _supposed_ to be dead?” Nick Fury asked, not liking this situation one bit. 

“Nothing more than that, Prince Nuada Silverlance died trying to reclaim the Golden Army; he was the last son of the Bethmoora clan and heir to their throne… Loki was rather upset when we heard the news…” Thor said, biting his lip lightly in worry.

“Okay, so if he’s supposed to be dead, how and why did he show up on my hellicarrier and decimate the best that Earth has to offer with a handful of half-rotted corpses?” Nick Fury retorted, watching Thor closely. Thor ran a hand through his hair, seeking the words to explain the situation the best.

“I know not… it is as strange to me as it is to you…” Thor said, the uncertainty in his voice set the whole group on edge as they watched the security footage of Loki’s escape. Seeing the elf prince easily dispatch the guards and then undoing the cuffs and muzzle without problem was a slap in the face, Tony had designed them to be nigh impossible to remove by anyone who wasn’t aware of their construction. Clearly, they had underestimated their opponents once again… 

“Well, the obvious answer is that Snow White here is a zombie himself,” Tony stated bluntly, tapping his chin in thought. Everyone settled him with a look. “What? It fits!”

“Your theory might hold water if Nuada was like the others… they had no heat signatures,  Nuada did,” Natasha stated, pulling a set of data over from one of Tony’s many floating screens that proved her point.

“That still doesn’t explain how any of these… things… got here in the first place. I mean, they and the Prince did just appear out of no-where all of a sudden, no warning… and the equipment failures, too,” Steve mentioned, looking to where many of the consoles were being repaired thanks to electrical failures. They were finding many wires that had somehow rotted from the inside-out and now needed replacing.

“There are also large sections of the hull that are damaged in odd ways.  Rust patterns that shouldn’t be there. All of this stuff is brand-new; there shouldn’t be a speck of rust anywhere. And the mold, how the hell does mold form on metal in a relatively dry environment?” Natasha added.

“All of this seems to be adding up to one conclusion,” Thor stated, looking up with a look of realization on his face. Looking around the room, he spoke in his loud, commanding voice. “Hel! I know your handiwork, show yourself!”

At his words, the group could hear a soft, dark laugh. All heads turned to a shadowy corner of the room where they could see a small figure, no larger than a seven year old child. Her long raven-black hair fell in waves down past her waist and her dress called to mind archaic burial shrouds. But the most frightening thing about her was the fact the entirety of her right side was decayed and rotting, and her left side was entirely normal, even if her skin was the same shade of milk-white as Nuada’s.

“Uncle… I did wonder how long it would take you to come to your senses and realize I was here,” she stated, her voice airy and light as if she didn’t have a care in the world.

“What is your game this time, Hel? Speak now and speak true,” Thor said, drawing himself up to his full height.

“Woah woah woah… are we talking THE Hel here? As in Hel, Queen of Nifelheim, realm of the dead?” Tony said, blinking in surprise.

“Indeed you are speaking with Hel Lokajardottir,” the little girl stated with a giggle, walking out of the shadows. “Or is it Hel Nuadadottir? I’m not really sure… Either way, I miss my Merchant of Death, Tony Stark… you used to send me so many playmates…”

Tony looked absolutely shocked that a goddess would know who he was and actually admit to being a fan. He wasn’t sure if he should take it as a compliment or be extremely creeped out and disturbed by her comment. It certainly shut him up for a good five minutes.  However, Thor took charge again, placing himself between Hel and his companions, not knowing what she would do.

“Hel, stop this nonsense immediately. Why would you release someone from your charge and send them here with your warriors?” Thor questioned. Hel settled him with a dark look, her mis-matched eyes harsh and unforgiving.

“Because it is high time I take from you what you and Odin took from me, dear uncle. My father, my mother, my childhood, my brothers… _everything,_ ” Hel said, her tone becoming much darker.

“So you would willingly allow Ragnarok?” Thor asked, adjusting his grip on Mjolnir. However, it would do him no good to attack Hel. As the Queen of the Dead it was impossible for her to die, and one touch from her decayed right hand could kill even an Aesir.

“I would burn all of the Nine Realms to the ground in order to have my revenge,” Hel stated, smiling. Her half-skeletal smile was so very unnerving. It spoke of death and destruction and pure glee at the thought of it all.

“So be it then, Hel… just remember, you brought this fight down upon yourself,” Thor stated. Hel could only laugh as she dissolved into mist and dissipated.

“You cannot kill that which is already dead, dear Uncle,” Her words and laughter echoed long after she disappeared. Thor’s grip on Mjolnir didn’t waver, his eyes closing as a thousand painful memories flooded back to him at seeing his niece again.

“Sounds like you have one hell of a story to tell us, Thor Odinson,” Nick Fury said. Thor sighed heavily, Hel’s revelation of what she had done in reviving Prince Nuada weighed heavily on his shoulders, especially when one took into consideration what she was ready to bring down upon their heads in order to get revenge.

Never before had Hel shirked her duty of keeping the realm of the dead under control. She had power over life and death, the ability to end and preserve. However, very rarely had she ever truly brought someone back from complete and total death. She really wasn’t supposed to do that, what was dead was supposed to stay dead.

“It is a very long tale that even I am not totally sure of, but I shall do my best,” Thor said, finally turning to look at Fury and his fellow Avengers, all with curious faces.

“Take your time in gathering your thoughts. I’ve got a phone call to make, if Nuada’s back we’re going to want to let the B.P.R.D. know,” Fury said, turning on his heel and walking away.

-x-x-

Nuada had transported them to one of his many hide-outs carved out of the secret places in the world. They were all small, not the elaborate palaces that the Prince had once been privy to. They kept his opponents guessing and ensured that he was always difficult to find, blending in with lower-born monsters who cared little for rank or status, but were more interested in keeping a quiet, low profile. Loki clung to Nuada, weak and boneless. It was a weakness he would never show anyone else, because everyone else would use it as a tool against him. Not Nuada, Nuada was all gentle hands and whispered comfort as he moved to settle Loki down on a soft pallet of fur close to the small fire pit.

“Let me get a fire going,” Nuada said softly, detangling Loki’s arms from around his neck, pressing a gentle kiss to Loki’s temple. Loki lightly shook his head, trying to cling to Nuada, to pull him down onto the pallet with him. Nuada chuckled gently, placing additional kisses to Loki’s skin. “I won’t even have to leave the cave, hush.”

Loki finally relented, relaxing back to watch Nuada as he busied himself with moving to hidden compartments and chests, pulling out dry tinder and wood to prepare a small fire to warm them. He did not take his eyes off of the Elfin prince, the last time they had been together had been several weeks before Thor’s failed coronation. Nuada had confided in him about how he had finally managed to track down the long-lost piece of the Crown of Bethmoora that had  been given to the humans, how he planned to move to take it back and then summon the Golden Army. Within a week he was dead.

Loki had not been able to mourn publicly due to Odin’s declaration that Nuada was a traitor, an oath-breaker, and a war-monger. He was effectively demonized in Asgard, so Loki had to take his mourning of his beloved behind closed doors, which may or may not have played a part in his decision to ruin Thor’s coronation.

“How?” Loki asked, his voice small and subdued. Nuada smiled lightly as he quickly coaxed their fire into life.

“Having Hel for a daughter certainly has some small perks,” Nuada said, looking back at Loki with nothing but love in his eyes. Tonight was their reunion, tomorrow was for revenge. Once the flames were providing suitable warmth, Nuada sat down next to Loki, hands gently touching the wounds on his face from the Hulk. Healing, green magick emerged from Nuada’s fingertips, causing the cuts and bruises on Loki’s face to face away. Loki leaned into Nuada’s touch, sighing in a contented manner as he was healed. Elfin magick was so very different from Aesir magick, it came from an entirely different place with an entirely different feel. It flowed better over Loki, healing him quicker. He one thought that Nuada had a better grasp on the healing arts, but he now knew it had more to do with the fact that Jotun magick and Elfin magick were highly similar the two natural energies blending better than Aesir and Jotun.

“Rest your weary form, my Love, we can discuss more on the ‘morrow,” Nuada whispered softly. Loki nodded, too tired and overwhelmed with the events of the past few days to even think of protesting. He relaxed close to Nuada as the pair settled down on the furs, in a few moments Loki’s eyes closed and he quickly found himself falling into a deep, untroubled sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are bits of this fic that will tie into another, older Hellboy story of mine... that I never finished... I'll let you know what they are when we get to them! 
> 
> Please let me know what you think!


	2. Ancient Nightmares, Archaic Legends, Enigmatic Dreams... All of this is True

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SHIELD meets the BPRD, Nuada learns about the Chitauri and adds them to his hit-list, and the Hellboy/Liz twins are cute as buttons.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One thing I want to make clear is that Nuada is NOT based on Norse mythology. This is something that a lot of Loki/Nuada shippers get wrong. In their scramble to hook these two up, they don’t delve far enough into Guillermo del Toro’s inspirations, namely Irish mythology (Nuada Silverlance is based on and named after Nuada SilverHand, a High King of the Tuatha de Danaan), they just apply Norse Mythology and that makes me a sad panda. I’ve been trying to delve into it myself, but it’s difficult because a lot of it has been lost or it just gets lumped in with Celtic myth which is related, but not quite the same. 
> 
> -x-x-
> 
> Swiftbolt is an old OC of mine from my old Hellboy story "The Ninth Circle." I lost inspiration for it after Hellboy II came out because Hellboy II said a lot of the things I wanted to say in "The Ninth Circle." I may go back and finish it one of these days and figure out how to make it canon-compliant with Hellboy II, but for now all you really need to know is a) Swiftbolt is a werewolf, b) he works for the BPRD as a Special Agent, mostly consultation work, and c) he's really in to John Myers. X3 
> 
> With that said, on with the show!

Chapter Two: Ancient Nightmares, Archaic Legends, Enigmatic Dreams… All of this is True

“Are we there yet?”

“Stark, you ask that one more time…”

“It’s a legitimate question! You didn’t even tell us where we’re going; it was just all “Okay kids! Load up in the Quinn Jet! We’re going on an adventure!”

Steve Rodgers lightly massaged his temples, the mood in the Quinn Jet was tense at best with Tony and Fury trapped close together in such a small space. So much snark, so little time… Fury looked like he was about to strangle Tony (which all things considered was Fury’s natural response to Tony), while Tony was taking his usual childish glee in pissing off the SHEILD director. Looking around the jet, Steve took note of his teammates’ current demeanor. Natasha and Clint where curled up against one another, half- asleep. The pair was used to grabbing rest at any opportunity, so nothing short of an emergency would make them move. Bruce sat analyzing data from the Hellicarrier concerning Hel’s attack; he had taken samples of the rust and mold, studying their composition. He was making notes in a small moleskin notebook, muttering quietly to himself as he worked.

Steve’s gaze moved on to Thor, the Thunderer was sitting apart from the rest of the group, his head rested on his hands, elbows resting on his knees. He was oddly quiet and pensive, his eyes showing his mind was far, far away. Steve got up and approached Thor, sitting down next to him.

“Are you okay?” Steve asked. Thor blinked lightly, looking over at Steve.

“Tis a heavy cloud that hangs over my head, my friend. The recent events have many grave implications for this realm and others,” Thor replied.

“You mean Loki and this Nuada guy teaming up?” Steve asked.

“Indeed… but it’s not just that they are teaming up. We always knew that Nuada held radical ideas, and now that Loki has rejected Asgard and a great many of his old morals…” Thor trailed off, his expression dark and foreboding.

“We’ll be landing in 10, Director,” the pilot said, interrupting their conversation.

“Thank god!” Tony declared, being an ass still.

-x-x-

The BPRD had certainly made several changes since the threat of mass quitting after the Golden Army incident. There was a very different atmosphere around the organization, one that allowed their agents a better amount of freedom, as much as could be safely afforded. Luckily the public’s eye and massive PR machine had drifted off to other distractions, giving them time to recover from the insanity. The arrival of the twins had also caused some big changes, which included a very important new designation for several “lucky” agents…

“Six, seven, eight, nine… TEN! Ready or not, here I come!”

John T. Myers would never call himself a family man, nor did he have much experience with kids, so he was damn grateful that his werewolf boyfriend was great with kids. Many agents were wary around the twins, especially since their daddy had a bad habit of standing over one’s shoulder and glowering, but not Swiftbolt. The werewolf was forever unfazed by Hellboy’s intimidation techniques and had the added bonus of having helped raise a few pups of his own in the past, making him a damn good babysitter in tandem with “Uncle” John.

No one was exactly sure how the agent had earned coveted “uncle” status, but he had. Of all their baby sitters, the twins loved John the best, with Swiftbolt coming a close second. There was a rotating schedule of agents that kept an eye on the twins, but the task normally fell to Swiftbolt and John unless the pair was absolutely needed for a mission. Since the human was now dating the werewolf, Hellboy no longer viewed him as a threat and had been able to make peace; it helped that Trevor and Jonas adored him. Speaking of which…

“Found ya!” Swiftbolt declared to the twin shrieks of Trevor and Jonas, the two young quarter-demons leaping up from their hiding spot and fleeing from the werewolf’s outstretched arms. The hangar made for the best games of “hide and seek” with all of its nooks and crannies, crates and containers to hide around and in.

“Uncle John’s base!” Trevor declared as he ran to the human agent, leaping up into his lap. John let out a light “oof” as he caught Trevor, almost falling off the crate he was sitting on as he watched Swiftbolt and the twins playing. Trevor was the active, sqiggly one who was forever getting into mischief, the very image of his father’s personality.

“No fair! No fair!”  Jonas whined as Trevor squirmed into John’s lap, making himself comfortable. John chuckled softly as Swiftbolt approached stealthy, moving very quietly for a six-foot-two man, quickly scooping the unsuspecting Jonas up into a big bear hug, fingers tickling his sides to pull squeals of delight from the young quarter-demon.

“I got one!” Swiftbolt declared, nuzzling and blowing raspberries against Jonas’s skin. With a grin, John swiftly grabbed Trevor close, ticking him as well.

“Waaaaaaah! Uncle John! Nooooo!” Trevor declared as he squirmed in John’s grip, attempting to escape even as he began to laugh his head off.

“Who said I was base half-way through, hmm? What did we say about changing the rules?” John asked, continuing his assault. Trevor squirmed and attempted to call for Swiftbolt’s help through bouts of laughter, but the werewolf only chuckled, Jonas resting happily on his hip, the little quarter-demon’s tail lazily wrapped around his waist for security.

Before he could open his mouth to say anything, Swiftbolt suddenly stilled looking towards the hangar door.

“Uncle Swiftbolt?” Jonas asked, gripping the front of the twill trench coat Swiftbolt wore while in human form and looking up at him with big, expressive eyes. Jonas took more after Liz, quiet and very observant.

“Open your senses, child… can you hear that?” Swiftbolt asked, looking down at his young charge. Jonas closed his eyes and stilled himself, listening. Few children his age would ever willingly sit still and listen, but he was very good at it already.

“Plane,” the little demon replied after a few moments, opening his eyes and looking back up at Swiftbolt, who grinned wide.

“Very good,” he said, looking back to John. “But the real question is who’s arriving?”

John moved to stand, helping Trevor slip down off the crate as well. The little demon moved to curl a hand in John’s pant leg, looking up curiously at the two adults.

“Dr. Krauss isn’t due back for another week or so, and Kate won’t be back from Tibet until next month,” John stated, running down a mental list of agents who were out in the field that would be using one of the BPRD aircraft. His eyes met Swiftbolt’s, who nodded to him; the wolf had reached a decision for them…

“Alright! Last one back to the family quarters is a smelly manticore!” Swiftbolt announced, looking at Jonas and then Trevor with a big, mischievous smile.

“But Uncle Swiftbolt! I wanna see who’s coming!” Trevor whined, looking up at Swiftbolt with big, pleading eyes.  Jonas chimed in with noises of protest as well, squirming in Swiftbolt’s hold. The werewolf set Jonas down before kneeling down to the twin’s eye-level, looking at them both seriously.

“Do you remember what your mommy and daddy and Director Manning told you about being seen by visitors?” Swiftbolt asked. The twins fidgeted a bit under his gaze before answering.

“If they’re not BPRD, they’re not supposed to see us,” the twins chimed back in perfect unison, hints of disappointment in their voices. They both had more of their father in them than sometimes even Hellboy admitted.

“And why are you not supposed to be seen?” Swiftbolt asked, still serious and keeping eye-contact with the twins.

“Cuz not everyone understands about us bein’ part-demon,” Jonas supplied in his small, quiet voice as Trevor fidgeted.

“Very good…. And your daddy would also skin me alive if someone tried to hurt you on my watch, so we’re all going to make sure that doesn’t happen,” Swiftbolt said, lightly ruffling Trevor’s hair before standing once more. “So! If you two come without a fuss I’ll tell you about the time your daddy ran afoul of Goddess Hekate herself!”

With the promise of a story about their daddy, Trevor and Jonas each took one of Swiftbolt’s hands and let their werewolf uncle lead them towards the exit. John chuckled softly as he watched them before he heard the mechanism that controlled the hangar door buzz into life, opening the door as the sound of an approaching jet became clear to even his human ears.

“I hope Manning is expecting company,” he commented before moving to follow Swiftbolt and the twins. As they were leaving, a party was approaching led by Manning himself. There were a few agents, but most importantly Liz and Hellboy were among them.

“Mama! Daddy!” The twins declared both letting go of Swiftbolt’s hands and running to greet their parents.

“Hey, there you two are!” Hellboy said with his usual good humor, easily scooping up both boys. The pair were talking quickly, telling their father about their game of hide-and-seek as well as begging him to let them come with him.

“And there’s our wayward werewolf, I need you to come with us, we’ll need your input,” Manning commented, looking to Swiftbolt.

“Aww, I’m touched! The mighty Manning needs lil’ old me,” Swiftbolt said, lightly nudging John with his elbow. John politely smiled and said nothing, forever neutral in the ongoing Manning/ In-human war.

“Hellboy, let Agent Myers take the twins back to the family quarters. We’ve got guests arriving,” Manning stated, looking back to the demon.

“Aww, how come we can’t stay,” Trevor whined from his place on his daddy’s shoulder.

“Because this is work-related,” Manning stated. The twins could never get any quarter from the Director, no matter how hard they tried.

“Uncle Swiftbolt promised story…” Jonas stated, his voice very quiet as he spoke to Manning, rarely actually having the courage to do so. 

“Come on you two, let’s go get you settled down for your afternoon nap,” Liz stated, accepting Jonas from Hellboy before the demon set Trevor down on the floor, giving him a small nudge to encourage him to follow Liz. “I’ll catch up with the rest of you at the meeting.”

“But mama… uncle Swiftbolt’s story,” Jonas complained, his voice a near-whine.

“I promise I’ll tell it to you later, but you have to be good for your mama and Uncle John, okay?” Swiftbolt said, gently ruffling Jonas’s hair. The quarter-demon sighed but nodded, laying his head down onto Liz’s shoulder as she, Trevor, and John headed back towards the entrance to the hangar. Swiftbolt turned to fall into step with Hellboy.

“So, we ARE expecting company?” He asked, looking to the demon.

“Manning got a call from another secret branch of the US special forces, SHEILD. We haven’t sat down with them in a long time, so you know that when they call it’s something big. They’re meeting us for a conference session, but Manning’s being all secretive about the reason for it,” Hellboy explained as they moved to stand and wait for the arrival of this mysterious SHIELD group. Swiftbolt hummed his understanding of the situation, standing next to Hellboy and crossing his arms over his chest as the hangar doors were opened wide to allow a decent-sized jet inside. Hellboy whistled, impressed.

“Looks like they get the shiny toys, much better funded than we are the lucky bastards,” he commented, nudging Swiftbolt who only gave a soft snort at the comment. As the jet came to a stop, the back hatch opened up, letting out a man with an eye patch and dressed in a long, black trench, followed closely by two agents.

“Director Manning thanks for hosting us on such short notice,” the man in the trench coat stated, approaching Manning, who stepped forward to shake hands.

“Anything for SHIELD, Director Fury. You mind telling me what all this is about?” Manning asked.

“Let’s get all of the shocked introductions out of the way first,” Fury replied, nodding respectfully to Hellboy who gave an acknowledging nod of his own.

“Fury, how you been? It’s been a long time,” Hellboy commented.

“Too long,” Fury replied with a half-smirk. “We can catch up later. Right now I’d like to introduce the Avengers.”

“Finally he gives us our cue!” was Tony’s frustrated statement as he, Steve, Thor, and Bruce emerged from the back of the jet. “He makes us sound like some kind of boy band…”

“Stark, please,” Steve said with a exhausted sigh. Hellboy’s eyes were as big as saucers and Swiftbolt immediately dropped to one knee, a hand over his heart and head bowed reverently.

“Holy shit… Captain America,” Hellboy stated.

“Captain,” was all Swiftbolt said, his voice low and reverent.

-x-x-

Far away from any human activity, Loki shifted lightly, feeling the warmth and weight next to him. His mind wondered why SHIELD had suddenly allowed him a cell-mate before he remembered… he was _free_ and it was his beloved Nuada lying next to him on the fur pallet. His eyes opened as he looked over to see his Elfin lover wide awake and silently observing him. Seeing that Loki was awake, Nuada’s dark lips formed into a smile as he gently moved to caress Loki’s cheek.

“Sleep well?” He asked, his voice low and rough. Loki could only nod in reply, words failing him at the boon he had finally been granted. “Good… I’d get us breakfast but I’m afraid I’m too comfortable to move at the moment.”

  
At that Loki had to smile lightly, moving to caress Nuada’s cheek in turn, thumb running along the Royal Scars that ran across his face. So very much like the lines of his Jotun form…   
  
“I thought you lost to me forever…” Loki whispered, finally finding his voice. His energy had been much restored and his magic was now quietly taking care of his unhealed wounds.

“I thought the same as well, but our little schemer decided that it was high time you had something go right for once,” Nuada replied, leaning down to kiss Loki. Ah, so Hel was involved in all of this, Loki smiled lightly as he returned the kiss whole-heartedly. “She saw fit to return me to you, my love. She has broken her sacred vows, returning one who was dead to the realm of the living at full power, even going to far as to break the ties that my sister and I once shared. She saw fit to keep Nuala in her realm, in enchanted sleep as not to disturb any plans we may craft.” Loki could do nothing but smile sadly. He had not seen his beloved daughter in a very long time.

“The humans will not stand for my release nor your return. If I heard right you made yourself quite the enemy in that Hellboy creature,” Loki stated softly, a hand starting to run through Nuada’s hair, twirling the strands around his fingers.

“They will all burn in our wake, my love,” Nuada stated, taking Loki’s hand to kiss each finger individually before kissing his palm and wrist. Loki couldn’t help but shiver in anticipation of the unspoken promises Nuada’s kisses bore. He had forgotten how tender a lover Nuada could be. Nuada Silverlance was a renowned warrior and leader, his soul burning brightly with passion and purpose. What was less well known was that his affections ran just as strong – he was a possessive lover without being a jealous lover. It was only with Nuada that Loki had ever felt safe, loved, and protected.

“Nuada… I cannot believe that nothing has changed…” Loki stated softly, his voice full of worry. He watched as confusion clouded Nuada’s eyes for a moment, thinking of what Loki meant. “I… I am not Aesir…”

“I know…” Nuada whispered. Loki blinked.

“You knew?” He asked, watching Nuada.

“Yes, I had my suspicions but was unsure due to you presenting yourself as Aesir. I had known the Jotun long before I met you, I knew of their ways and their forms. When Hel was conceived I began to wonder what you truly were, for the Aesir are most definitely a two-gendered people. No matter how much Odin told everyone that you conceived only because you possessed magic that no other man ever had and that you could change your shape, I knew that wasn’t the truth. I know enough about magic to know that such a feat does not happen by chance,” Nuada explained, golden-red eyes burning with an inner fire. Loki found himself entrapped in those eyes, any protest dying on his tongue. “I knew that Odin was lying to you, but I did not want to burden you with yet another problem at that time, having to deal with so much… I had also hoped that you would figure it out quickly on your own, you were always so clever.”

Nuada leaned down to nip at Loki’s throat, smirking lightly against his flesh.

“My suspicions were quite confirmed when I first laid eyes on Hel and saw her Royal Lines. She bears both the royal scars of Bethmoora and the lines of the house of Laufey. I traveled to Jotunheim in attempt to gain an audience with Laufey- to see if he had a missing prince in need of returning- but he would not receive me,” Nuada stated. Loki shivered lightly, holding tightly to Nuada. Nuada had known this whole time? And he had still loved him for all these centuries?

“But… I am a monster,” Loki said, his voice soft and small. Nuada shook his head, making Loki look right into his smoldering eyes.   
  
“No, you are no more monster than I, my light, my love, my all. The Jotun and the Tuatha de Danaan are not so different in the eyes of the Aesir, we are both too close to the elements that spawned us, making them fear us,” Nuada said, he gripped Loki’s chin lightly, tracing a thumb over his lips as he leaned in closer to whisper breathily into Loki’s ear. “I want to see you for what you truly are… I wish to see the form that allowed you to give me the greatest gift I ever received… the form that gave us our Hel.”

Loki shivered gently as Nuada’s words entered his mind, letting him know that no matter what Nuada loved and accepted him. Why was he even worried in the first place? Nuada had been one of the few constants in his life that kept him going with support and encouragement, no matter what he had been pursuing. Had it not been Nuada himself who taught Loki how to walk the dark paths of the world tree, the very paths that kept him out of Heimdall’s sight?? The secret ways the Tuatha du Danaan used to keep their court dealings away from the prying eyes of Heimdall? Nuada was not of the Aesir, who turned their noses up at anything they perceived as weak or dishonorable. He was a good warrior and tactician because he recognized that all people and aspects mattered and took time to understand the abilities that promising people possessed, be they “honorable” or no.

With a slow exhale, Loki closed his eyes and concentrated. It took effort to dispel Odin’s glamour, it had been ingrained into his very being by the All-Father, but now that he was aware of it he could lift it. He kept his eyes closed as he felt himself shift, the raised royal lines that declared him of Laufey’s line and blue skin overtaking the unmarred Aesir pink.

“There you are…” he heard Nuada whisper in an encouraging manner, hands gently starting to caress the lines of his face, fingertips tracing along them, sending little shivers down Loki’s spine. Slowly, he opened fiery red eyes, looking up into Nuada’s golden-red ones. It had surprised him how close the Tuatha de Danaan and the Jotun were. The natural Lines declaring their lineages, the fiery eyes of gold and red…

Seeing the light of love intensified in Nuada’s eyes was so very exhilarating. Until this moment, Loki had despised his Jotun form - and part of him always would thanks to Odin and the Aesir – but seeing how much Nuada still adored him gave him that much more confidence in himself.

“You are most definitely not a monster. Look my beloved,” Nuada said, lifting Loki’s hand back to his lips, kissing his palm and the inside of his wrist again. He then intertwined their fingers, the bone white and icy blue of their respective skins making a rather pretty picture. Loki couldn’t help but smile as he looked at their intertwined fingers. In this moment he felt so normal, in this moment they were just two lovers sharing everything they had to give to one another. Nuada glanced back down at Loki’s face, watching him before moving to kiss him full on the lips again, the act returned by his Jotun lover. Loki moved to let go of Nuada’s hand, moving to fist his hand in Nuada’s hair as the Elf Prince’s kiss became hungrier, a tongue slid into his mouth as a hand moved to seek out the clasps of Loki’s armored tunic, revealing a blue, Lined throat and chest quickly.

As Nuada’s hand moved to caress down Loki’s body a noise emerged from Loki’s throat that certainly wasn’t one of pleasure. It was a pained noise as Nuada’s fingertips brushed against deep purple bruising, causing the Elfin Prince to pull away and look down, a noise of sympathy emerging from his throat.

“Who did these?” Nuada asked, they did not look fresh.

“They will heal,” Loki stated quietly, looking away. He did not want to speak of them… not yet. However, Nuada was having none of that and moved to force Loki to look at him once again.

“Tell me everything,” he commanded, gentle but firm. And so the story came out, about how Loki allowed Jotun into the Aesir palace to interrupt Thor’s coronation, about how he had learned of his true heritage, about how he nearly killed the mortal Thor, destroyed the Bifrost, and fell into oblivion. He had wanted to die, to follow Nuada into the realm of death and remain there forever content because nothing could tear them apart ever again. But he had not found death, instead he had been found by Thanos and the Chitauri…

“They were most… persuasive… in securing my assistance in obtaining the Tesseract, for reasons I know not,” Loki finished, letting Nuada hold him tight as he recounted the tortures enacted upon his person to secure his loyalty. Internally, Nuada was shaking and vowing revenge upon this Thanos, no matter what it took, however he would not let his own anger show, not yet.

“You need proper healing,” Nuada finally stated. Lightly, Loki shook his head.

“No… I will be fine, just let me rest,” Loki begged, but Nuada was already on the move, standing up from the pallet to put out the last lingering embers of their fire.

“Those bruises should have been healed by now if your magick was working as it should. You are exhausted, physically and mentally, and need a proper healer. One with knowledge of skills that neither of us possess,” Nuada said, moving to scoop Loki up. The Jotun could barely stand; wobbling lightly on his feet as he grabbed at Nuada’s chest plate once again, only then did he nod in agreement to the idea of seeing a healer. Wrapping an arm tightly around Loki’s waist, Nuada called once more on his Elfin magicks and in the blink of an eye they were gone as if they had never been in the small cave…    


	3. Devil's Flesh and Bones

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nuada goes to get Loki help as well as reconnect with old allies while the Avengers continue to be introduced to new ones.

The Forest of Burzee was normally quiet. The stillness of the air was calming, soothing, almost… magical. For indeed Burzee was one of the last great magical forests in the world, untouched by man and carefully hidden by ancient powers and guarded diligently by the beings that lived there – namely the Court of Oberon, one of the last Fey Kings. His warriors defended Burzee with no quarter given; any human who ever strayed into Burzee has had a hell of a time getting out, if they ever got out at all! 

Of course to maintain such a fighting force warriors were required to be constantly trained and tested, ensuring their skills did not fade from disuse. New warriors had to be doubly tested, which was what Oberon and his court were currently overseeing.  
“Again!” Oberon called out, watching the current match of a newcomer and one of his current guards. The female elf had thus far been able to dispatch all of her opponents with ease and grace, but the Fey King wanted to test her endurance and thus called forth another of his warriors to fight. 

Dulled practice-swords clashed in a shower of sparks as the assembled court cheered for their favorite to win. Many cheered for their current warrior, but the newcomer was quickly gaining support among some of the younger members of the court. 

Queen Titania hummed softly next to her husband, leaning against him as they watched the proceedings. 

“I increase my bet on her by three hundred,” Titania stated, pulling a laugh from her husband. 

“Do you, my dear?” he asked, glancing down at her as he sipped from a goblet of nectar. 

“Indeed I do… she is strong, fast, and has beaten five of your best,” Titania said. 

“Ahahah, she’s beaten four of my dearest. If, IF she can beat this last one then I will consider her,” Oberon replied. 

Titania smiled lightly before speaking. “I want her for my personal guard….” Oberon had to raise an eyebrow at that, humming as he turned his attention to the two combatants once more. The female elf had not relented in her attacks, her power unwavering as each blow and counter-blow was met with ferocity and verve. After a few minutes more, she had her opponent down on one knee in the soft soil of the ring, panting heavily as he held a hand up in surrender. 

Oberon stood, clapping slowly and loudly with a laugh on his lips. “Well, my good Lady. You have most certainly proven yourself against five of my top warriors, won the respect of my queen, and cost me about five hundred gold coins. Welcome to the Warriors of Burzee My Lady?” 

The female elf looked up at Oberon where he stood upon the high platform, tossing her long blonde bangs out of her sweaty face as she moved to bow respectfully, a fist clenched over her heart. 

“My given name is Kathara though most will refer to me as Kath,” the female stated, looking up at the Fey king with bright green eyes. 

“Kathara…” Oberon said, trying the name on his tongue with a small nod. “Kathara, I extend unto you a formal invitation…” 

The King was cut short by a noise of alarm followed by the shouts of a few of the other warriors and guardsmen. Oberon looked to where the commotion was coming from, seeing a tall, white and black form striding forward carrying a limp and lifeless-looking form in a cradle-hold. The guards gave him a wide berth, recognizing him by his armor and appearance. Oberon’s own eyes widened at the sight and Titania herself stood, coming to stand next to her husband, clasping his arm. 

“I am Prince Nuada Silverlance of Bethmoora and I come seeking aid,” Nuada stated, looking up at Oberon without fear, but not without respect. 

“Prince Nuada… we thought you dead,” Oberon said with surprise apparent in his voice. 

“It is a very long story, but before I can begin to tell it…” Nuada stated, nodding to the limp form in his arms. 

“That cannot be… Prince Loki of Asgard?” Oberon asked, eyes narrowing as he processed the sight before him. There had been whispers, stories that Loki had fallen into the Void, that Odin had lost control of the second prince of Asgard. Nuada nodded, pulling Loki tighter against his body. He had passed out just before they reached Burzee, something wasn’t right at all… 

“As I said, my old friend, it is a very long story, all of it. I will willingly tell all that I can, but he needs aid,” Nuada said, his voice nearly begging the Fey King. 

Before Oberon could reply, it was Titania who spoke, “Bring him to my Bower, I will see to him myself.” 

-x-x-x-

“If you all will please wait in the library, we need to get the conference room ready… pull the files and all that,” Manning stated before he and Fury bustled away with purpose. 

Not surprisingly, it was Natasha who led the way to the large golden doors that led into the Library, which had long served as a good waiting room for those the BPRD trusted. There was plenty of plush furniture and a few good distractions to entertain people as they waited. 

“How do you know who I am?” Steve asked as he walked next to Hellboy. The red half-demon smiled lightly, he had the same goofy grin that everyone would have upon meeting an old, childhood hero in the flesh. 

“I grew up on an air base in New Mexico right after World War II. You were legendary, man,” Hellboy replied. “All the air men liked to tell stories of brave Captain America and his Howling Commandos. They passed around the comic books, too. When you’re a little kid you eat that shit up…” 

Steve hummed, nodding at the answer. Somehow he could easily imagine the tall, red half-demon next to him as a little child reading an old Captain America comic book. He had the same bounce to his step and joy in his voice as Coulson had upon meeting him. The werewolf on the other hand… he held more reverence, more like the older gentlemen Steve met who had served in the war. However, he didn’t look a day over thirty-five. 

“What about you? Swiftbolt did you say your name was?” Steve asked, just to be polite. 

Swiftbolt offered a small smile, nodding his head. “Yeah, that’s me. You probably didn’t know at the time, but one of the Hydra Camps you raided held werewolves that Hydra and the Nazis were trying to… well… “train” I guess would be one word for it. They wanted to use us as the ultimate shock-troops. Werewolves were thought to be strong, fast, deadly, unrelenting, and also trainable like dogs due to our beastly nature. However, they forgot we spend half our time as humans and thus think like a weird mix of humans and wolves. My mother was pregnant with me when you liberated the camp, so I sorta owe my life to you; there are many werewolves in Eastern Europe that owe their lives to the brave Captain America.” 

“Huh…” Was all Steve could say in response. 

“Looks like the great Captain America has fans in the oddest of places…” Tony commented. 

Natasha and Hellboy pushed open the large double-doors that led into the library, ushering the group inside. Immediately, Natasha walked over to the books on stands in front of the large fish tank that covered one side of the room as the rest of the group entered. 

“Has anyone turned the pages in a while, Abe?” She asked, moving to the first book. 

“No Miss Romanova, I would appreciate it greatly if you did…” A slightly muffled voice replied. Tony approached the tank, curious, before stepping back as a humanoid form swam up to him. 

“Holy!” Tony stated, jumping back a bit. Hellboy chuckled from where he sat on one of the large, plush couches. 

“No one told me we’d be having so many guests….” Abe stated as he pushed away from the glass, eyes focused on Hellboy. 

“Yeah, well Brother Blue, it was a bit of a surprise for us too…” Hellboy said, motioning with the Right Hand of Doom. Abe’s eyes moved to each individual Avenger, save for Natasha and Clint, focusing on each one for a few moments before he moved a bit deeper into the tank, an uncertain look on his face. 

“Mark me down as saying this is NOT the weirdest thing I’ve seen today,” Tony said.

“Abraham, Abe, Sapein at your service,” he offered with a small, almost undetectable smile. 

-x-x-

Nuada watched as Titania and her handmaidens fussed over Loki’s limp and pale form, lightly biting his thumb nail. Oberon approached him, offering him a cup of nectar that he gratefully accepted, taking a long draft of the Fey alcohol. Oberon stood next to the Turtha Prince, watching the flurry of activity as well. 

“What happened to him?” Oberon asked 

“Tis a long story that I fear I do not even have the entirety of yet,” Nuada replied, looking into the cup before taking another drink. Oberon swirled his own cup of nectar as he glanced at Nuada. 

“Would you like a seat?” He asked, motioning towards the study. Nuada just nodded, allowing Oberon to lead him away and towards a set of chairs carved from living trees. The pair sat, Oberon relaxing back while Nuada leaned forward, slumping slightly and brow furrowed. “So… I know you didn’t come here just for medical attention….” 

Nuada glanced up at the Fey King of Burzee. “You still have it then?” 

“Of course, it has been well guarded. I would never allow such an item to fall into the wrong hands,” Oberon replied, crossing one leg over the other as he sipped at his nectar. “It is exactly where you left it, as asked.” 

Nuada smiled, straightening up a bit. “Perfect, once I know that Loki is stable, I will reclaim it.” 

It was at that point that Titania approached the pair. Nuada stood out of respect, setting his now empty glass down on a small table nearby. She ran a hand through her hair, moving her bangs of her eyes.

“He’s going to be alright. We found he was poisoned with a toxin I’ve never encountered before, but luckily it is responding to the usual treatments. He’ll need to rest for a while and will probably be weakened until the toxin has completely worked out of his body. The toxin has affected his magick, that much we can tell, but I believe that once it has worked out of his system his powers will return to normal,” Titania said. Nuada let out a long breath, running a hand over his hair. 

“Thank you… I am in your debt once more, my Queen,” Nuada said, bowing his head out of respect. The Fey Queen smiled warmly,  
sitting on the armrest of Oberon’s chair. 

“We are more than happy to assist you, your highness. Your work is important to us all,” Titania said, looking down to her husband who nodded in agreement. 

“We will watch over Loki while he recovers. You also have access to my guard to assist you in reclaiming the object,” Oberon said, putting an arm around Titania’s waist. 

“You have my eternal gratitude for everything you have done,” Nuada said, his head bowing respectfully once more as a smile danced upon his lips. His plan for revenge was coming along quite well.


	4. I Don’t Believe a Lot of Things, But I’ve Been Wrong Before

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The BPRD and Avengers hold a planning meeting, Loki dreams as the Chitauri Poison works its way out of his system, and Bruce joins a Werewolf Philosophy Club.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I never intended for this to be the fanfic that updates once per year, but here we are. I hope you enjoy this offering. I am still working on this, it's just taken a bit of a back-burner to my other projects.

The BPRD conference room was full to capacity with both BPRD agents and the newly minted Avengers. It was to the point where a few extra chairs had to be dragged out of various offices to accommodate everyone (Swiftbolt had to be reminded once more that having John sit in his lap during a briefing was unprofessional and not allowed), but with a little creative Tetris everyone had a place at the table.

Documents from both the BPRD and SHIELD lay on the table, hurriedly printed and copied by the poor minions in the BPRD print shop, and both Manning and Fury stood at the head of the table with the screen behind them ready to show the footage and photos the two groups had.

"So we should probably begin with what just happened on the Hellicarrier and move backwards from there..." Manning stated, moving to put on his reading glasses as Fury moved to tap a few keys to start the security footage the Avengers had already seen.

"Four hours ago, on the Hellicarrier just inside of New York air space, there was an attack made by, at the time, an unknown force of what appeared to be..."

"Revenants," Abe supplied.

"I was going to say Zombies..." Fury countered.

"No, Director Fury, zombie is a very specific term for a corpse reawakened by a Voodoo Bokur. Renevant is a more general term until we uncover what kind of renevant," Abe stated. Fury gave the fish-man a look, before shaking his head.

"Alright, alright, so we were attacked by a group of revenants led by what Thor revealed to be Hel, daughter of Loki," Fury continued, tapping another key to pull up two images - one of Loki they took upon his capture after the Battle of New York and a slightly lower-quality image of Hel from when she confronted the Avengers after her own attack.

"Draugr, then..." Abe commented quietly to himself, making a few notes for his own research purposes. Fury made no comment as he moved to pull up a different piece of footage showing Loki's cell and Nuada's quick work to free him.

"I'll be damned.... What's that springy bastard doing alive?" Hellboy asked as the agents of the BPRD paid close attention to the screen, at least until...

"HAH! I knew it! Pay up, Red!" Swiftbolt declared. "Never doubt the gay-dar of a bisexual werewolf!"

Hellboy grumbled lightly as he fished out his wallet and handed the werewolf two twenties. Thor raised an eyebrow.

"You make jest?" He asked, tone low. Swiftbolt smiled lightly as he tucked the money away in a belt pouch.

"Old betting pool on Nuada," the werewolf stated, completely and utterly shameless. Hellboy just scratched the back of his head with his left hand.

"Yeah... A five-year-old betting pool that I'm surprised you remembered..." Hellboy gave a little glare in the werewolf's direction. Swiftbolt just grinned and settled back down.

"How is Nuada alive? We all saw him die," Liz stated, ignoring the boys' antics and getting the meeting back on track. Abe had gone quiet where he sat, but nodded in agreement to Liz’s words.

"According to Thor, Hel might have something to do with it. In addition to being Loki and Nuada’s child, she apparently has power over life and death or something like that," Fury said. All eyes turned to the Thunderer, who sighed heavily as he gathered his thoughts and courage to spill family secrets.

"Tis true that Loki and Nuada were lovers, a relationship that our father - Odin, King of Asgard - did not approve of nor would he allow it to be revealed. Loki continued to see Nuada against our father’s command. Eventually, he fell pregnant. I was told that Loki had used magic in attempt to permanently ensnare Nuada, but I now know it was due to Loki's Jotun nature. The Jotun are a single-gendered people, with all individuals capable of both impregnating and carrying offspring. When Hel was born, Odin cast her out of Asgard. Not long after Loki and Nuada went to find her, but she had already been accepted by the dead. Thus they conquered Nifleheim for her to rule. Of course, once she became Queen of the Dead, she was charged with a sacred duty - to accept the dead that did not pass into Valhalla and keep them at rest in her realm. It seems she has forgone that duty where her father is concerned," Thor explained, voice hesitant.

"Wait, wait, wait, you're telling me that because your dad couldn't accept that one of his sons was gay, we have to deal with this?" Swiftbolt said, pointing to the screen.

“Do not speak of things you do not know, varúlfur,” Thor said, nearly spitting the last word. Swiftbolt gave the Thunderer a feral grin, showing off fangs.

“Then educate us, Thunderer. Why did this strike such a cord in your family?” Swiftbolt asked. The tension in the room was thick and obvious as Swiftbolt and Thor stared one-another down. The werewolf had obviously found a sore spot and was poking a stick right in it.

“What Nuada did was dishonorable and he has always had radical thoughts about the people of Midgard. As is now well-known he was willing to even call upon the mighty Golden Army in attempt to destroy the humans of Midgard, perhaps this is where Loki’s own thinking began to become twisted against the people of your Realm,” Thor said. “My father could see through Nuada’s lies where Loki could not.”

  
Swiftbolt sat back in his chair at that, a very pensive look on his face. John reached over to place a hand on Swiftbolt’s arm, shooting the werewolf a glance to stop this line of questioning before things got worse. Liz and Hellboy also had to share a conflicted glance, as parents they knew what a person would be willing to do to defend their child and hearing that Odin had cast out Loki’s child just to preserve some sort of honor was sickening.

  
“So, Loki and Nuada were close enough to have a child a long time ago, that child turns out to be the Nordic Queen of Death and that gives Nuada a bit of an advantage in working his way back to the world of the living to do… what, exactly? Help Loki escape your custody? What does that get him?” Liz asked, trying to puzzle it all out.  
“That’s what we

were hoping that you all could help us figure out,” Fury stated, arms crossed over his chest. Hellboy scratched the back of his neck once more while Abe bit a fingernail, both looking pensive.

“We know that Nuada views humanity as a poison to the Earth due to the way they treat the planet and its inhabitants,” Abe offered.

  
“And Loki wished to take over and rule us,” Clint offered up.

“Hel did imply that she was willing to help start Ragnarok, the End of the Nine Realms as we know them,” Thor added, a grave look on his face.

“Ahhhh, Tuesdays,” Hellboy commented.

“And all of this evidence points too?” Liz asked.

“Not much right now, other than we need to figure out where Nuada has taken Loki and what their next steps will be,” Steve stated. “What else do we know about Nuada? Who are his allies, other than Loki and Hel of course?”

There was a bit of head-scratching at that, Abe flipping through his own notes for a few moments.

“Nuada was a Prince of Bethmoora, the last of the great kingdoms of the Turtha du Dannan. He slew his father King Balor to gain access to one of the three pieces of the Crown that controlled theGolden Army, however it didn’t appear as if he had any support from the Court of Bethmoora. When we fought him his only active ally was a troll, he was hiding out in the Troll Market, and while he had access to terrible power – even going as far as summoning an elemental to try and stop us – it didn’t appear as though he had any active allies or soldiers. He was a Prince in self-imposed exile. Honestly… we have no idea where he would have gone…” Abe stated.

“We could check the Troll Market… see if anyone knows anything?” Hellboy asked. Swiftbolt had to snort at that suggestion.

“With what happened the LAST time you lot stomped around in there, I don’t think anyone will be willing to talk to you,” the werewolf stated.

“This puts us all at a severe disadvantage,” Fury said, disappointment heavy in his voice.

“We can try some tracking… you have access to mundane resources that we don’t and we have access to some magical ones that should help. That’s really the best we can do for now,” Manning stated.

There was a heavy silence over the assembled group, things weren’t looking too good for anyone.

-x-x-x-

Loki’s body was wracked with fever as the Chitauri poisons worked their way out of his system. His mind was hazy as he laid in the soft bed provided by Titania, slipping in and out of sleep and consciousness. Whenever his mind did manage to swim to the surface he found that one of the Fairy Queen’s maids were with him, patting his face down with a cool cloth, sometimes it was the Queen herself tending to him, and once it had been Nuada, who had leaned down to kiss his cheek and whisper into his ear that he had to go reclaim an artifact, that he would return soon.  
For the most part Loki slept and dreamed. His dreams took him back to the past, to happier times. He had dreamed of when Nuada had first arrived in Asgard, the way the Turtha du Danann Prince had moved with an easy elegance through the halls of Asgard, bowing respectfully to Odin as he accepted the offer of hospitality. He was breath-takingly beautiful, filling Loki’s mind with fantasies, but the younger Prince of Asgard had absolutely no hope that his fantasies could ever be fulfilled. Nuada was a warrior and at the time Loki had figured all warriors were like Thor – boring, brutish, and entirely too concerned with appearing ergi – so he had no hope of catching Nuada’s eye.

At least… until the quiet meetings in the library of Asgard. The great library of Asgard was considered one of her crown jewels among the other realms, even if her own people thought less of it. It was headed by Bragi, God of Wisdom, who would give any a dirty look and a sound thrashing if they abused the ancient tomes that he cared for so diligently. It was why Loki had been his favorite, the younger prince had long learned to take care of the books, how to treat them right so their delicate bindings would not come apart. Having shown his respect and love of the ancient tomes, Loki had been given a rare and wonderful gift by Bragi - the ability to peruse the library as he liked unaided, to take down any book he so chose. Some of the younger books he had even been allowed to take out of the library, provided they came back in the same condition they left - no dog-eared pages or food crumbs.

Indeed, Asgard's library had been one of Loki's safe havens from Thor's antics. The younger prince had been browsing the shelves for a specific tome on the history of the Goblin Wars, lost in thought when he accidentally bumped into someone. Gasping in surprise he had quickly jumped away, flustered as he began to apologize, thinking he had bumped into Bragi in his pursuit of knowledge.

"Forgive me, I did not hear you approach, Bragi," Loki said, his head respectfully inclined, eyes down.

The chuckle that answered his apology was certainly not Bragi's. It was a darker, softer noise that caused Loki to look up to meet the eyes of Prince Nuada Silverlance.

"It is quite all right, Prince Loki. It is I who should apologize for sneaking up on you thusly," Nuada said, voice quiet out of respect for the silence in the library. "But you look like the one to speak to regarding finding specific tomes."

"Surely Lord Bragi could assist you better than I..." Loki said. Nuada smiled as he shook his head.

"It appears that Lord Bragi has gone to seek sustenance. The midday is upon us and I do believe many are partaking of their noon-time meals," Nuada said.

Loki had smiled to himself, this had not been the first time he had been so engrossed in his work that he neglected to realize the time. However, his curiosity had been awoken as to why Nuada was here in the library instead of taking a midday meal with the other warriors. Since his arrival he had been seen most often in the training ring with the other warriors, including Thor.

"I see... Well in that case, how can I assist you my prince?" Loki asked.

"I'm seeking an account of what your people call the "Last Great War" and what the other realms refer to as the "Jotun Rebellion." It is of some personal interest to me," Nuada said.

"If that is true, why do you seek that here in the library? There are many heroes of that war still alive and willing to tell their tales," Loki said. Many Lords and older warriors still used stories of that war to tout their prowess in battle, even though the time of that conflict was long past and many of them were now old and grey....

Nuada shook his head before he spoke again. "You'll have to forgive me for saying this, but I find the accounts given by your warriors to be too embellished, I was hoping that if I sought out a written record I could get a more accurate portrayal."

Loki could not help but chuckle at that, having long thought the same thing and glad to have finally found someone who agreed with his line of thinking. "I know just the one you want."

Moving quickly, Loki walked to the section that was devoted to the Last Great War (although now he was mentally calling it the Jotun Rebellion, it made more sense and was less confusing), his long, elegant fingers ran along the thick spines of the books as he sought his quarry. After a few moments he carefully pulled a rather large tome off of the shelf and cradled it like a small child.

"There is a reading area this way, Prince Nuada," Loki stated as he began to walk towards the end of the isle. Indeed, there was a reading area with plush furniture but also a desk with book cradle, which was where Loki sat the heavy tome. Nuada smiled as he moved to sit at the desk, picking up a small, flat wooden stick that was used to turn the delicate pages, gently opening the book up.

"Thank you, Prince Loki, I shall inform either you or Lord Bragi when I am finished so that it may be returned it it's proper place by the individuals who care best for it," Nuada said, his attention turning to the book. Loki nodded, lightly amazed that Nuada knew how to treat the book and its pages without having to be told. He retreated back to the shelves, lightly glancing over his shoulder at Nuada who was indeed engrossed by the book at hand. Licking his lips, Loki returned to his hunt for that book on the Goblin Wars.

That had been the first time Prince Nuada had appeared in Loki’s sanctuary, but it certainly wasn’t the last. The Prince of Bethmoora quickly became a permanent fixture, spending long afternoons in the library after morning training with the warriors. Each time, he sought out Loki over Bragi. What at first had been requests to help locate tomes on various subjects soon turned into debates on history, culture, and eventually magick that sometimes caused the pair to miss not only lunch, but dinner as well. And then debates turned into gentle conversations about family, philosophy, and the ways that Asgard differed from Bethmoora.

Then, one day, they ran out of things to talk about, but by that time the pair didn’t need words to communicate with one another. Loki lured Nuada deep into the library to the quietest and most undisturbed dark corners where the pair traded gentle touches and soft, passionate kisses. They explored one another slowly, safe in the knowledge they would not be found. The memories of Nuada’s lips, warm on his skin, had sustained Loki for many a lonely night without his lover once Odin revoked his hospitality and forced Nuada to leave Asgard. Odin had claimed that Nuada was manipulating Loki, the Elven prince was older and far more experienced in the ways of the Nine Realms, but that had never been the case. Loki had known exactly what he wanted from Nuada and Nuada had been more than happy to indulge the younger Prince.

And now, even in his dreams, Loki knew that he wouldn’t have to worry about his revenge. Nuada was by his side once more…

-x-x-

He had to ask directions from at least three different BPRD agents, but at least everyone was cordial and didn't look at him as if he would explode epically any second. From the snippets he saw in some of the other rooms, the Hulk would probably be a cake-walk for most of these people. Bruce hummed thoughtfully as he ascended the last ladder that would take him to the roof, opening a hatch and hopping out before stopping to catch his breath.

"Ah, Dr. Banner has come to join our little philosophy club," Swiftbolt stated from where he sat on a low couch. Bruce looked over and offered the werewolf a little smile, adjusting his glasses. John was relaxed against his boyfriend, looking half-asleep.

“What’s the topic of the day?” Bruce asked, approaching and moving to sit down on a lawn chair near the couch. Swiftbolt took a drag off the joint he was smoking before offering it to Bruce. The man raised an eyebrow, but accepted all the same.

“Just trying to figure out if it counts as bestiality when I’m NOT a seven-foot-tall ball of fur… Ouch!” Swiftbolt smirked as he looked down to where John had just punched him in the side. “You know I say it in love.”

Bruce chuckled as he passed the joint back to Swiftbolt. “Part of me wants to question why someone with connections to a Government Agency is sitting on top of the roof of said Agency’s building, smoking pot.”

The werewolf smirked, relaxing back. “The same reason a respected Doctor joined said Government Agent… It’s all about control. You and I know that better than anyone. You have a giant green rage monster inside of you, I have an overly-large wolf with jaws that can easily crush bone. Besides, technically, I don’t legally exist so they can’t really punish me for my indulgences. Being a werewolf has a couple of perks, you know?”

Bruce had to laugh at the statement, leaning back in his chair. “Tell it to me straight… Is there ever any hope for control?”

“Yes,” Swiftbolt replied, taking the last puff of the joint before flicking it down onto the ground, grinding it under a combat-booted foot. “I don’t know about your beast, Dr. Banner, but I know mine. We’ve worked out a good truce… however, I do know that there’s always a risk that the beast can take over permanently and I have made my wishes known should that ever happen.”

Bruce’s eyes flicked to John, who looked very pensive as he trailed lazy circles on Swiftbolt’s exposed chest and abdomen. Swiftbolt ran his hand along John’s back, keeping the man close.

“At the end of the day, Dr. Banner, it comes down to what you can personally live with… I honestly have every confidence that you and your beast will one day come to a workable truce, but that’s for you to figure out…” Swiftbolt said.

Bruce looked down at his hands, mulling over Swiftbolt’s words. The Werewolf was probably the one person he had so far run into that understood his situation, and he had come here to speak with him because of that fact. Bruce knew that fantasy media had a habit of portraying Werewolves as bloodthirsty killers, but here was one cuddling with his boyfriend and smoking pot. Reality was always stranger than fiction it seemed….

As Bruce was opening his mouth to ask another question, he heard a vague buzzing noise emanating from Swiftbolt’s belt pouch. It was akin to the vibrate tone of a cell phone, however the Werewolf didn’t pull a cell phone out of his pouch. Instead he pulled out a clear crystal that fit in the palm of his hand and threw it up. The crystal “stuck” in mid-air and a clear, almost holographic, image of a woman with long hair and pointed ears appeared before the group.

“Heeeey Kath, how are you?” Swiftbolt asked, smiling.

“Swiftbolt! Are you high again?... You know what, never mind that, I know you’re still functional. Is your group aware that Nuada is alive?” The woman asked.

“Yep,” Swiftbolt replied, popping the “p” as he nudged John, sitting up straighter. “The real question is… how do YOU know about that? We just found out ourselves.”

“Because he’s in the forest of Burzee right now, about to reclaim his sword.”

“Shit.”

**Author's Note:**

> There are bits of this fic that will tie into another, older Hellboy story of mine... that I never finished... I'll let you know what they are when we get to them! 
> 
> Please let me know what you think!


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